Lead Collectively.

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As an early leader in outdoor education, we've been crafting unique expeditions in the Southwest since 1926. Nestled in Albuquerque, NM, our non-profit, 501c3 organization boasts a 550-acre Basecamp in Thoreau, NM, providing a gateway to unparalleled outdoor experiences. To us, adventure is more than conquering peaks; it's about understanding the story behind each summit. Knowledge is the foundation of excitement, and we believe in fully experiencing the wonder of the Southwest by seeking to understand and appreciate it. This passion is the driving force behind what we do and why we love doing it.

Meet The Dedicated Team at Cottonwood Gulch

Embark on a journey of exploration and education with the passionate and diverse team at Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions. Get to know the individuals who contribute their skills, experiences, and love for the outdoors to make every Gulch adventure unforgettable.

Click on the team member name to read their bio.

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Ben Montgomery

Basecamp Facilities Coodinator

Inspired by the natural world at an early age, Ben began his career as a wildlife professional and environmental advocate in 2001, while earning degrees in biology and education. Working at wildlife rehabilitation centers in three time zones and two countries, Ben has conducted dozens of rescue operations for birds in distress, and developed experience in the design and construction of innovative, custom wildlife rehabilitation enclosures. In addition to managing general facility operations, Ben has paid forward the help he’s received from others by cherishing his opportunities to hire and train interns, volunteers, and entry-level staff hungry to establish their own careers. More than anything though, Ben has enjoyed sharing his love of nature with others as an educator. A featured speaker at numerous state and national conferences, Ben has visited hundreds of schools, dozens of public civic events, and has even made several television appearances, presenting in twelve states (and one Canadian province) to groups of all ages and sizes with a message of respect for environmental conservation and reverence for wild animals. In his free time, Ben enjoys hiking, kiting, firearms, listening to music, renovating his house, yelling at the news, and occasionally building large pieces of art to set on fire.

Ben Montgomery

Basecamp Facilities Manager

ben.montgomery@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Cass Landrum

Summer Programs Director

(she/her)

Cass hails from Round Rock, Texas where she grew up romping through wildflowers and asking everyone she encountered to play a game with her. Growing up in Texas has made her appreciate the abundance and diversity of public lands in the Southwest. She received a degree in Environmental Studies from SUNY Purchase, then held outdoor education jobs in New York, North Carolina, California and Texas before taking a job with Cottonwood Gulch and settling down in New Mexico. She spent her first summer with Outfit and the following six as the resident Naturalist, during which time she became the Bachechi caretaker and Associate Director managing school group programs until 2018. After taking a year off (partially to go on tour with former Gulch Director Mike Sullivan’s band Powersolo), she continued coordinating with schools to facilitate field trips in northern New Mexico, before returning to Cottonwood Gulch in 2023 as the Summer Programs Director. Through more than 10 years of guiding students and families in the outdoors, Cass estimates that she has belayed over 1000 children, taken down over 500 tents, and participated in over 100 treks. When not leading educational outdoor experiences, she can be found walking her dog Duck, dusting off carboniferous plant fossils, or leading group fitness classes.

 

Cass Landrum

Summer Programs Director

cass.landrum@cottonwoodgulch.org

Brad Jeffrey

Brad Jeffrey

Development Coordinator

(he/him)

Brad came to the Gulch as a field educator during the fall 2019 season after completing a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of New Mexico. He spent much of his youth exploring the forests, rivers, and lakes of his home state of Wisconsin. Brad notes that he is fascinated and humbled by the endless wilderness, rich culture, and history of New Mexico – and the rocks are great too! His favorite parts of a trek are breakfast, summiting a peak, bonfire, and fitting in an exciting geology lesson or jam session when the opportunity presents itself. Brad is a passionate educator and appreciates the rewarding moments when one of the trekkers realizes that they love something they learned about a place, or about themselves. As Development Coordinator, he enjoys getting to know the extended Gulch family and community and to help support the outstanding and historic programs through fundraising.

 

Brad Jeffrey

Community Education Coordinator

brad.jeffrey@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Donna White

Food Coordinator

(she/her)

Donna White joined the Gulch in 2020. She has been working in outdoor education since 2002 with various organizations. Before the Gulch, Donna was a field instructor with Outward Bound Costa Rica. While she has experience in rafting, white water kayaking, sea kayaking, and scuba diving, her passion lies in the mountains and hiking. Donna is excited to explore the mountains of the Southwest and already has a love for them! Donna notes that she has always been an outdoor girl and is thankful to be able to incorporate her love of nature into her profession. A close second to her love of hiking is her love of food–another reason she is excited to be working with the Gulch. Donna is the new Food Coordinator as well as a field educator. She worked in the food industry for many years, was a pastry chef for several restaurants, owned a catering company for 25 years, and most recently worked as head chef for a sorority house at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Although food is also a hobby for her , she also enjoys painting and making jewelry.

 

Donna White

Food Coordinator

food@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Carrie Dalrymple

Development Director

(she/her)

Carrie has fond memories of visiting her grandparents each summer during her childhood and hiking in the Absaroka Wilderness in Montana and Wyoming. A desire to move west was instilled early and was finally realized when she moved to New Mexico in 2001 with her husband and two young children. Raising her children in a place where they could still experience the wild places of the world has been so important to Carrie. She believes that time spent immersed in nature can be transformative: physically, mentally and spiritually.  She has a BA in psychology and a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston where she specialized in nonprofit administration. She has since put her talents to use for a variety of nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, community development, community foundations and advocacy for children in foster care. Her love of the New Mexico landscape and of working with children and youth is what drew her to Cottonwood Gulch, where she has the privilege of spreading the word about their wonderful and life-changing programming for children and youth.

Carrie Dalrymple

Deputy Director in charge of Development & Internal Relations

carrie.dalrymple@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Hillis Vassilas

Enrollment Coordinator

(He/Him)

Hillis grew up in Athens, Greece but would visit his grandparents in Chicago every summer. His family has been a part of the Gulch community from the beginning so those visits soon began to include the Southwest and he became a trekker as early as he could at the age of 10. For 6 years running he spent his summers in the southwest, growing through our programs and being a part of the invaluable community process his family had a part in building. He went on to complete a bachelor's in Theatre and English Literature in the UK and found he loved passing his knowledge on to the next generation. For the next few years he was a theater educator at a variety of schools, youth groups, and summer camps before moving to Toronto where he found work in the Outreach field. He helped raise funds for a variety of charities including The Nature Conservancy Of Canada with whom he led a team to reach out to communities in Toronto interested in protecting land and increasing wildlife biodiversity across Canada. The Gulch has a special place in his heart and he has always wanted to give back to the expeditions; to the people and the land that played such a large part in helping him grow into the passionate human he is today. He is honored to take on the role of Enrollment Coordinator and to be a part of the process of helping bring the unique Cottonwood Gulch experience to more minds, bodies and souls.

Hillis Vassilas

Enrollment Coordinator

hillis.vassilas@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Iris Flechsenhaar

Bachechi Open Space Caretaker

(she/her)

Iris is the caretaker of this beautiful, inspiring 27 acres of open space in Albuquerque that is managed by Cottonwood Gulch. She cares for the cottonwoods, the grape vines, the pecan grove, wetlands, woodlands, pollinator and rose gardens, the Little Free Library and the wildlife who call this space, home. She  educates visitors on how to walk with respect and teaching stewardship with conservation and preservation in mind. Iris coordinates free Sunday Family Funday and Speaker Series events for the public to enjoy as they learn about our local environment - the Rio Grande floodplain, known as "El Bosque." Iris manages reservations at the Environmental Education Building, engages the community in volunteer work on the open space, and works closely coordinating with the Gulch on school programming at Bachechi.  Iris notes that she loves what she does working on the land and working with the people, interacting with donkeys, a parrot, plentiful dogs, and other pets. She loves playing frisbee and having wild and crazy “dance parties”, creating deep, spiritual experiences on the land. Living and working at Bachechi gives Iris the perfect opportunity to enrich her life and grow expansively in the areas of deepening healing practices, herbalism, gardening, composting, self-sustainability, natural-coexisting practices, building and designing cob cottages, and learning about art and technique. 

Iris Flechsenhaar

Bachechi Open Space Caretaker

bachechi@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Josh Shudra

Operations Coordinator

(he/him)

Josh (Joshua when he’s in trouble) was born and raised in the sweltering humidity of Cypress, TX. He has backpacked through Philmont and spent time in the Bob Marshall Wilderness where he enjoyed trail work. He was also part of a YCC crew in the Mark Twain National Forest clearing out invasive plant species. He’s an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member. While in scouts he ran or supported various district wide programs for the Sam Houston Area Council and Colonneh Lodge. He graduated from Schreiner University with a degree in Underwater Basket Weaving (Communication Theory). A sort of jack-of-all-trades, Josh stumbled across the Gulch in 2024 while looking to put his passion for the outdoors and wilderness conservation towards something meaningful. He’s pretty convinced that most things are a racket meant to make us conform to what the powers at be deem to be “real life”. When not exploring he can be found running, reading over various topics, fighting the good fight (whatever that is), listening to music or podcasts, writing poetry, and delving into the paranormal, supernatural, cryptids, and folklore.

 

Josh Shudra

Operations Coordinator

josh.shudra@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Olivia Marín

Marketing and Communications Manager

(she/her)

Olivia grew up between Denver, Colorado and the southern coast of Spain. Her parents encouraged her to go outside whenever possible; to climb rocks, make mud pies, and try to spot a fairy's home through the trees. In 2012, she moved to New Mexico to study flamenco through the University of New Mexico. She earned her BA in Environmental Planning and Design with a minor in Sustainability Studies in 2016, was accepted as an Exploring Equitable Education Outdoors Fellow in 2020 and joined the Gulch later that same year.  She continues to dance flamenco professionally and spends her free time biking through the Bosque, hiking in the Sandias and marveling at the sky scapes of the Southwest. 

Olivia Marín

Marketing & Communications Manager

olivia.marin@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Jess Karan

Youth Conservation Corps Coordinator

Jess grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains in northern California among the redwoods where she learned to hike, run, mountain bike, rock climb, and backpack. After earning her BA from Kenyon College in 2021, Jess moved to Philadelphia where she worked at Riverbend Environmental Education Center and developed a passion for place-based outdoor education and leading youth in environmental stewardship. In 2023, Jess embarked on a professional development semester with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in outdoor education, receiving graduate credit through the University of Utah and spending as long as 23 nights in the backcountry sans showers or cell phones. These formative experiences in canyon country spurred Jess to move to the Southwest in 2024 for three seasons as a Field Educator with Cottonwood Gulch, and she is so excited to return to the Gulch full-time and call the high desert ecosystem of Albuquerque home.

Jess Karan

Youth Conservation Corps Coordinator

jess.karan@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Abby Polakoff

Operations Assistant

(he/him)

Logan's background begins in the backcountry of upstate New York, where he grew a love for the outdoors through hiking and camping. It was common for him to build forts in the woods or go on long treks to get away from the cows and corn surrounding his hometown. Logan attended SUNY Plattsburgh for their Expeditionary Studies program, in which he learned a myriad of professional skills for the outdoor environment, including building anchors for climbing and white water safety! Since then, he has spent most of his adult life working in the outdoor industry or travelling around in his custom RV, before landing here at the Gulch in October 2025! He is excited to see what great adventures and opportunities come next! 

Logan Zeeuw

Operations Assistant

logan.zeeuw@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Orlando Romero

Office Manager

(he/him)

Orlando has worn many hats and often wears more than one at a same time: father and husband, marathon running coach, USGS hydrologist, soccer coach, martial artist, University of New Mexico rock climbing instructor, substitute teacher, Department of Defense bicycle mechanic, and general purveyor of human-powered pursuits. If you talk to him long enough, you will likely discover something about him that will surprise you. After quitting his grown up job a few years back, Orlando accidently discovered the Gulch from a friend/past student and has been involved ever since. No stranger to helping people dig deeper than they thought they could, he is a profoundly passionate believer in the transformative experiences that trekkers have while participating in Cottonwood Gulch adventures. Orlando has some official-looking papers, among them a BS in Applied Mathematics, a minor in Fine Arts, and a Masters in Water Resources/Hydroscience (all from UNM). His current paper is an American Mountain Guides Association Single Pitch Instructor certification. Orlando hopes to someday figure out what he will be when he grows up.

 

Orlando Romero

Office Manager

orlando.romero@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Jordan Stone

Executive Director

(he/him)

Jordan first came to Cottonwood Gulch In 2007, as a road cook for the Prairie Trek. He quickly recognized Cottonwood Gulch as an organization full of intelligent, curious, and quirky people, and since then his love for the Gulch has only grown. Jordan has held multiple roles within the organization and was honored to step into the role of Executive Director in 2020. Outside of the Gulch, he has served as the Conservation Program Manager for Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Albuquerque, worked on an urban organic farm in Wisconsin, and trained in outdoor skills at the National Outdoor Leadership School. He keeps bees, tends a garden, loves to write, and spends plenty of time exploring New Mexico’s abundant public lands. Jordan holds a BA from Pomona College, and a Masters degree in Geography and Environmental Studies (if you’d like to have a conversation about how different people and communities think about “nature”–quite relevant to the Gulch experience–Jordan is a willing participant) from the University of New Mexico. He lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Ellen, who teaches third grade and takes her students outside whenever possible, and their two children, Josephine and Rowan.

 

Jordan Stone

Executive Director

director@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Neal Turnquist

Staff Experience Coordinator

(he/him)

Originally from southeastern New Hampshire, Neal fell in love with New Mexico while attending St. John’s College in Santa Fe, where he graduated from in 2004. He has worked as an elementary educator for 20 years and finds that much of the best learning takes place experientially, often outdoors, which led him to obtain an MA in Outdoor Education Leadership from Prescott College in 2024. Neal is passionate about helping children develop a strong sense of place and gain confidence through exploration of the more-than-human world. He came to know about the Gulch chaperoning trips to basecamp for many years and loved it so much that he worked as Program Staff on Outfit 1 in the summer of 2024. Neal is delighted to have the chance to be a part of the team building the Gulch’s strong programming and supporting its amazing staff. In his non-work life, Neal loves playing disc golf, hiking, reading, camping, and cooking meals for his wife and two children.
Neal Turnquist

Staff Experience Coordinator

neal.turnquist@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Theresa Lewis

School & Community Program Director

(she/her)

Theresa was introduced to the magic of Cottonwood Gulch while accompanying her middle school students on an environmental restoration trek. She is passionate about restoring the relationships between humans and the Earth, and she loves having fun with kids, especially in collaboration with the natural world. Theresa comes to the Gulch with diverse experience: environmental education at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, teaching in a variety of settings, environmental program management with the Municipal Government of Tobias Fornier in the Philippines and volunteer program support through the US Peace Corps, and administrative coordination with MIT and MVPediatrics in Massachusetts. Theresa is from Massachusetts, though still a visitor on Massachusett and Wampanoag land; and she is humbled to be a visitor on the lands of the Tiwa peoples while she has found a home in Albuquerque. Theresa is a certified Forest Therapy Guide and loves taking people on guided, sensory walks to help us all remember that we are a part of nature and not separate from this beautiful world. She is honored to work with a team of people who are passionate about engaging youth in amazing outdoor experiences.
Theresa Lewis

School & Community Program Director

theresa.lewis@cottonwoodgulch.org

 

100 Years of The Gulch Way

One of our founding core values is Connected Communities. Each year is an opportunity for us to expand our strong network of passionate trekkers of all ages and help them to open doors of exploration and personal discovery.

We value a spirit of curiosity and teamwork, problem solving and perseverance and we know you do too. Your donations help us keep the Gulch accessible for all families. Every dollar goes toward opening the door to life-changing experiences for future trekkers.